Western Carolina women’s golf coach Steve Lott announced on July 13 the signing of Malin Jansson for the 2009-10 season. Jansson inked a National Letter of Intent to attend WCU and play golf for the Catamounts.
Hailing from Nykvarn, Sweden, just outside the capital city of Stockholm, Jansson will be the fourth Swedish player currently on the Catamounts’ roster, and sixth different Swede to play for Western Carolina since 2001. She joins current countrymen Desiree Karlsson (Ljunghusen), Elin Mickelsson (Gavle) and Josefine Sundh (Kumla), with former Swedish-born golfers Johanna Lundberg (2001-03) and Malin Fryk (2005-07) previously playing at WCU.
“I am very excited that Malin Jansson has chosen Western Carolina University as the place where she would like to play her collegiate golf,” said Lott, who is entering his 12th season as the women’s golf coach. “Malin is a very talented young lady who has the drive and work ethic to accomplish great things as a Catamount golfer. This summer has been a `coming out party’ for her and we are very lucky to have Malin in our arsenal of weapons.”
This season, Jansson has made the cut in all five tournaments in which she has played, finishing in the top 10 four times including a pair of fourth-place showings. The Nykvarn, Sweden, native averaged a 76.50 on the year with a low round of two-under, 70. During her junior year, Jansson posted a 77.53 stroke average and recorded two tournament individual medalist honors.
Overall, Jansson ranks eighth in Sweden among junior girls 21-years of age and younger, with a national rank of 53 among both amateur and professional golfers.
“Golf is my passion and I love to wake up every day and think about getting a bit better,” said Jansson in an E-mail correspondence this week. “I am really looking forward to being a part of the Catamount women’s golf team and I can’t wait for our first tournament!”
Western Carolina is scheduled to open the fall portion of its 2009-10 season at the Draper Valley Intercollegiate on Sept. 6-8. The Catamounts finished second at the same tournament a year ago behind the first collegiate individual title of Blaire Minter. WCU has posted top three finishes in each of its last three appearances over the past four years, including winning the event in the 2005 season behind Fryk who won both the ’05 and ’06 individual title.
“We are scheduled to open practice on Monday, Aug. 24, and I am very excited to see the team tee it up. We return all of last year’s squad and we have some added fire power with Malin (Jansson),” concluded Lott.
